Scouting South Carolina’s next opponent: Georgia
No. 3 Georgia (1-0) at South Carolina (1-0)
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
TV: CBS
Line: Georgia by 10
Three storylines
1. South Carolina hasn’t hosted a top 5 conference foe since they whipped the No. 5 Bulldogs, 35-7, in 2012. It’s hard to say a division title can be decided in September, but Saturday’s winner certainly takes a huge step toward being crowned SEC East champs.
2. Bryan McClendon’s debut as USC’s full-time offensive coordinator resulted in the Gamecocks scoring nearly 50 points and piling up more than 500 yards in an easy win against Coastal Carolina. Now comes the tough part. Georgia’s defense finished sixth in the country last season and opened 2018 by shutting out Austin Peay.
3. Georgia used two quarterbacks in its season-opening rout of the Governors. Jake Fromm started, got the Bulldogs out to a 10-0 lead and then made way for freshman Justin Fields. Fromm completed 12 of 16 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Fields went 7 of 8 for 63 and a score. Who should we expect to see more of Saturday? “We’ll make those decisions based on every game,” UGA coach Kirby Smart said following the victory against Austin Peay.
Three Georgia players to watch
1. Georgia star running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined for 183 yards and a touchdown in guiding UGA’s 24-10 win against the Gamecocks last season in Athens. The Chubb-Michel duo is gone, but the Bulldogs are hardly hurting with D’Andre Swift. The former five-star recruit made the SEC’s All-Freshman team last season.
2. Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker passed up the NFL draft for one more season in Athens. The Bulldogs’ best secondary member will likely draw matchups with USC star receiver Deebo Samuel. Samuel missed last year’s UGA game, but made four catches for 90 yards against the Bulldogs in 2016.
3. If this game plays out as advertised, Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship gives the Bulldogs an edge. The Rec Spec-wearing junior connected on 20 of 23 field goal attempts last season, including a 55-yarder against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.
This story was originally published September 2, 2018 at 4:45 PM.